The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-08
LILLIAN sNAvELY.
The Pathetic Adventures of an Heiress Who
Fell Into the Hands of Sharpers.

The arrival Of City Marshal M B. Fitzgerald,
of Sterling, H., and A. A. Wolfersberger
well-known lawyer of that place. to-day, adds an
important chapter to the sensational story of
Mrs. Watson, the missing Chicago bride. It APP
pears from the story told by Wolfersberger. who
is the lawyer Of Mrs. Snavely, mother of the
missing girl that the bride has been the victim
of a stupendous confidence game. She has
fallen, it seems. into a gang of sharpers. The
story Of the girl is sad and peculiar. She is the
eldest daughter in large family Of children.
Her father died some time ago and left his es-
tate to be divided among his wife and children.
The share of Lillian Snavely amounted to about
$4,000. Lillian was pretty GIRL well thought
of in Sterling, where she always bore correct
character. About year ago she was sent to
Chicago to study painting, rs she had
developed decidedly artistic tastes. Here
she lived with q school friend, Miss
Ada Duncan, at No 235 West Van Buren,
street It was while here that Miss Snavely
was introduced on the street one day to NJ. H.
Davidson, with whom she subsequently came to
Omaha. Davidson represented himself to be
wealthy cattleman from Texas. whereas in real
ity he is known to the police gambler, black
leg and confidence man. A few days later Da-
wilson. having learned that the girl had good
deal of money, concocted with two of his ASSOC
ciates, c. V. Watson and NJ. H. Bell. scheme
to confidence Miss Snavely. Watson was intro
duced to Miss Snavely aud succeeded in ingra-
tiating himself into her confidence. In less than
three weeks time he had won Miss Snavelys
love and consent to marriage. The girls folks,
suspecting something wrong, forbade her to
marry. Her relatives telegraphed her to come
home Immediately as her mother was very sick.
She returned at once to find that her relatives
had adopted this as ruse to save her from dis
honorable marriage. She was indignant, declared
that she loved Watson, and would marry him.
That gentleman, hearing that she was in Ster-
ling, came down, but her folks refused to let him
see Miss Lillian He hung around Sterling two
or three days. and then disappeared, failing to
pay his board bill. and returned to Chicago,
from which point he teegraphed to Miss Lillian
for money. She at once sent him 5000, and he
returned to Sterling. One night Miss Lillian
came to town with her sister, and, after giving
her the slip, met Watson and went with him to
the house of preacher. where they were mar
RED They then went to Chicago, whore they
stopped with Mrs. Duncan on West Van Buren,
street Watson all the time kept working the
girl for money. Finally he found that his game
was played out, and he gave way to confederate
No. 2, NJ. H. Davidson. Watson went East on
what he claimed to be important business.
During his absence DAVIDSON. his CO.
and. playing the part of a sympathizing
friend. depicted to her what a scoundrel her hus-
band was, told her he was bigamist or trigar
mist: that he had wife living in Chicago and
another in New York city with a.family of two
or three children told her how Watson had
worked pretty eirl on the South Side. whom he
had induced to give him $500 to buy wedding
dresses, ETC., on the strength OF a promise that
he would marry her. Mrs. Watson was terribly
broken up over these revelations, but when
i Davidson wooed her she listened to him readily
| enough. He proposed to her that they run away
together man and wife. come West and be mar
ried. The girl thought this a splendid scheme
to get revenge on her husband. and fell into the
| trap. On March a. she left Chicago with Dav-
| wilson, and came direct to Omaha. From a let
| ter she wrote to Miss Duncan it was learned
| that she was in Omaha Davidson has in his pos
| session of the girls money between $1,000 and
| s., 600. The remainder, fortunately. is in the
bank at Sterling, where these fellows cannot get
| it at present. The scheme of Davidson and
| Bell, who are now with the girl, Is undoubtedly
to work her for all her available money and then
drop her penniless at some little station to find
| her way home as best she can. As soon City
Marshal Fitzgerald and Mr.. Wolfsberger found
| that the bird had flown in company with vultures
/ they telegraphed TO the heart-broken mother al
| Sterling. They at once received the answer
Find her and bring her back at any cost
| The girl, with the two men. Davidson and Bell
from that place to Portland, Ore. Telegrams
were to-day sent to the chief of police at Den
YER and one to Portland, asking that the party
be watched for and apprehended as soon as pos
| sible
CHICAGO. April Charles L. Watson. whose
chief claim to notoriety is based on his marriage
to Lillian Snavely, of Sterling, was before Jus
| tice Kersten yesterday, charged with obtaining
| tweutv-seven-dollars' worth of board at a hote
| on false pretenses. The matter having beer
| compromised. there was no prosecution, ant
| Wotc VraQ 1iScharred